Not My Cat

Becca Marcus did not want a cat.

Her sixteen-year-old son, Owen, did.

He researched. He campaigned. He made promises. Most importantly, he promised that if Becca agreed to let him have a cat, he would take care of it.

Six months later, Owen walks into the room and announces:

"Mom, the litter box smells."

And waits.

That is when Becca realizes something has gone very wrong.

Poppy is definitely Owen's cat. Everyone agrees on that. Especially Owen.

So why does Becca know when the food is running low? Why does she schedule the vet appointments? Why does she know where the carrier is, when the flea medication is due, and exactly how much litter is left?

And why, exactly, is she holding the scoop?

Nobody deliberately handed Becca responsibility for Poppy. It happened quietly, one perfectly reasonable favor at a time.

Now Becca is determined to return ownership of the cat to the teenager who begged for her-without neglecting Poppy, turning every forgotten task into a moral crisis, or admitting that the tiny black menace who sleeps on her pillow might have completely won her over.

Not My Cat is a warm, sharply funny contemporary novel about family, teenagers, invisible labor, boundaries, competent women, and the dangerous phrase "just this once."

Because loving the cat is one thing.

Becoming Director of Cat Operations is another.